


Clockworks

by xiujaemin



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: F/M, Female Byun Baekhyun, Female Do Kyungsoo | D.O, Female Lu Han, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-16
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-18 21:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10625226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiujaemin/pseuds/xiujaemin
Summary: Kyungsoo’s little sister gives her a wristwatch, telling her that it would let her meet her soul mate. She didn’t believe in all of that. That is, until she met Jongin.





	

#

 

“And don’t forget to buy me steamed buns!” Minseok reminds in a cheerful tone that had Kyungsoo rolling her eyes. If Minseok just wasn’t her best friend, she might just drown him in a tub filled with steamed buns so he wouldn’t bother calling her anymore whenever he finds out that she’s on an errand.

“Already did, you Baozi.” Kyungsoo answered, already irritated from the heat of the summer sun intensely burning her skin as she was walking along the pavement alongside the bakery where she just bought steamed buns. She ended the call before Minseok could say anything more and try to ask for a souvenir. She went, thinking that her best friend should already get a girlfriend so she wouldn’t have to do this for him. Or a slave, if he doesn’t want to be called an asshole in general.

She stopped in a path walk in front of the pedestrian lane, a large number of people squeezing beside her, while some even bumping against her as they hurriedly tried to get in the front of the crowd. She impatiently tapped her foot against the cemented path, waiting for the traffic light to turn red. A seemingly infinitesimal number of cars passed by the asphalt-covered road, making her grow even more exasperated. She still had a lot of homework to do, with a part-time job in her parents’ restaurant to boot. She raised her left hand a bit so she could take a look at her wristwatch, whose bright red leather straps were looped around her left wrist, biting back the urge to curse as she remembered that the watch only counted backwards.

It was a birthday present that she received from her younger sister during her debut the previous year. Having had received lots of grand gifts, she found her sister’s gift cute and amusing, especially when her sixteen year-old yeodongsaeng explained that the watch was supposed to be “A clock that counts down until you meet your soul mate,” somewhat like that thing you see in television screens during new year count downs. She gave the younger one a bemused smile and patted her sister’s head before thanking her. Kyungsoo’s sister was such a hopeless romantic that she even wanted to drag her sister into it, requesting her unnie to wear it all the time so that she “Will never miss the moment when the time comes that she meets her soul mate.”

She sighed at the recollection, and absent-mindedly rubbed the glass covering the face of the digital wristwatch she was wearing, not bothering to check the time anymore. Just then, the traffic lights turned green, and she was squished in between rushing men and women clad in their stiff business suits, along with parents and other kids like her who were just on their way to go home from a long day at school.

She finally regained stability and started to walk forward calmly, but was almost thrown off-balance again by a tall guy who collided against her. Before she fell face-first onto the cold and dusty road, though, she was caught in the waist by firm hands, which helped her steady herself, and muttered a hasty “Sorry.” Before she could see his face and thank him though, his back was already turned against her, the sunlight reflecting against his black hair. His hands were in his pockets, walking confidently to the other side of the street. The domineering height he had and bronze-tanned skin seemed familiar to Kyungsoo, yet she couldn’t remember where she saw him.

She was taken back to reality though, by the sudden beeping of the wristwatch she was wearing. She covered it with her right hand to muffle its annoying alarm, as she hurriedly crossed the street to figure out how to turn the alarm off. When she finally reached the other end of the street, however, the beeping has stopped, and the numbers on clock’s face were all zeroes. She looked at it in confusion, wondering what the hell was up with the mystifying watch. She turned her head to look for the guy that she ran into earlier, but he was already nowhere to be found.  
She stared at the watch on her wrist, a look of disbelief written all over her face.

Could this thing _actually_ be true?

 

#

 

“Nah, the right thing to do would be that you order all our food, while I stay here and reserve us seats, okay?” Minseok proposed, plopping right into the blue leather sofa before Kyungsoo could even protest.

“Sometimes, I wonder how you even became my best friend. You clearly don’t even have any manners.” Kyungsoo muttered under her breath, giving her best friend a stern look. “If looks could kill, you would’ve been six feet below the ground for ten years already.”

“But it couldn’t so just go now, shoo. Off you go.” Minseok grinned, relishing the annoyed look on his best friend’s face. Kyungsoo bit her lower lip and heaved a sigh, not even having much of a choice, and stomped off to fall in line so she could order. He breathed deeply, realizing that he’d been infuriating the hell out of her for more than ten years already, but they still remained as friends. “I swear, if anyone can aggravate her more than I do, I’ll hire him to irritate her for the rest of her life.” He said, chuckling at his own thought.

But he didn’t need to find one though, for someone has already taken up the position, though unaware of such a proposition.

It was a really long line, almost reaching the fast food’s glass doors, and Kyungsoo wasn’t the most patient type of person that existed, but she tried her best not to scare off other people with the impatient look on her face, doing her best to turn the grumpy look into a serious one. She almost kissed the cashier when it was her turn, but she forgot what she was going to buy, so she opened her handbag and looked for the list of Minseok’s orders. As she was digging in the contents of her bag, however, a tall figure loomed over her and started ordering.

She looked up from her bag when she realized this, and grabbed the man by the arm in a not-so-gentle-and-ladylike manner, that if her etiquette teacher saw what she was doing right now, the poor old lady might die of a heart attack. “Excuse me, but I was in line first.” She said firmly.

The man turned his head to face her, and oh dear heavens she thought he shouldn’t have, because I might eat my words. The stranger gave her a crooked grin, and she hoped that he didn’t see her swallow harshly. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was kind of in a real hurry, and I thought you wouldn’t mind, so…” he scratched the back of his head in that adorable way that guys usually do when they’re shy.

Oh my god he’s just so adorable, can I keep him? Kyungsoo’s mind screamed, almost dying of hyperventilation as she was internally screaming, but she was able to keep her physical form intact and poker-faced, and not dying from too much feels like her mental self was. “I’m in a hurry too, you know. My friend’s waiting for me back in our table, and I’m pretty sure he’s starving to death by now.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about that…” He smiled at her sheepishly, and she had to fist her hands at her sides just to maintain her even-though-he’s-cute-I-should-be-a-bitch-to-him-right-now-because-why-not conviction. He towered over her, and he even looked like he wouldn’t back out if you dared him in fight, but still, he looked quite a bit younger than her, and he was handsome, and he looked like he could be the personification and/or the reincarnation of either Adonis or Cupid, and he was right in front of her, and he was really really really really cute even though he wasn’t usually her type (because seriously, she couldn’t care less about getting into a relationship, all she ever cared about was her family and career and maybe even her best friend), and…. She couldn’t stop thinking of all the other things she could describe him.

“Why don’t you just let her order first, and then you go next?” the girl behind the counter suggestedwith a hint of total annoyance in her voice. Well actually, it was more of an order than a suggestion. She looked familiar to Kyungsoo, and only when she stepped up in front of the cashier did she realize that it was Baekhyun, her classmate back in high school. She didn’t recognize the girl from before though, because she wasn’t wearing as much eyeliner now as she used to. Kyungsoo regarded her, and Baekhyun looked glad that the former still remembered her.

“Here’s your order.” She smiled, gently pushing the tray of food towards Kyungsoo. “And don’t let those guys get the better of you. Even if you like them, show them who the boss really is.” She winked. Kyungsoo remembered her boyfriend back then, that super-duper tall guy with the elf-like ears who always unintentionally made creepy faces and whose right eye almost always seemed to twitch, especially when he’s laughing or smiling. It was definitely evident who was wearing the pants in their relationship, and anyone with a right mind would surely see that.

“Hey, wait up!” someone called from behind her, but she made no effort to stop. Only when she felt the tray of food slip away from her grasp did she turn to look at the stranger.

“And just what do you think you are doing?” she asked, a little too harshly even in her ears.

The boy winced a bit, but managed a smile. “I was only trying to make up for earlier. Where’s your table? I’ll take it from here.” He grinned. She couldn’t help but blush at his gesture. Oh my god, I must have saved lots of lives when I was alive, I must have been Joan of Arc in my past life to receive this kind of luck in just one day. She swore she could almost hear angels singing Hallelujah in the background. With great effort, she tried to hide her giddiness by rolling her eyes at him.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” She said, waving her hand at him dismissively. She made sure to fake a groan just to hide the giggles that almost escaped her.

“Took you long enough to—wait, are you guys together?” Minseok asked, intrigued as he noticed the guy that tagged along Kyungsoo. She sat next to him, and the guy occupied the seat across the two of them.

“Yes/No.” they both answered at the same time, making Minseok laugh really hard. The guy looked at him like he was crazy, and Minseok wiped away the tears from his eyes. “Ah, this is nothing. I’m just really happy that my friend has found a potential mate.” Kyungsoo nudged him a little too hard in the ribs with her elbow, hissing “Stop being an ungrateful friend,” to him.

He grimaced, feeling as if he had lost his entire rib cage, but continuing with the teasing anyway. “I didn’t know that now was the time you’d meet your soul mate, Kyungsoo. If only I’d found out a bit earlier, I definitely would’ve insisted going here earlier, and made you eat here every day of the year until you got sick of burgers.”

“Ugh, just shut up Minseok.” Kyungsoo said, giving him a look that said ‘I’m tired of you and your shit, so can you just shut up?’, before proceeding to munch on her burger.

“Wait, so does this mean that you two aren’t together?” The other guy asked in disbelief. The two eyed each other, and threw the guy they just got acquainted with a look of pure disgust. “Ew, no.” They said in chorus. The other guy seemed to relish this fact, as Minseok noticed.

“I’m Jongin, by the way. But people usually call me Kai.” Minseok almost laughed when he heard the name ‘Jongin’ (because who the hell even names their children like that? Oh wait—his does), but turns his snicker into a cough.

“Minseok here. And the princess right here is Kyungsoo, although I call her Heenjabuja most of the time.” He announced, which gained him another broken rib and looks of a mixture of horror and pure disdain from Kyungsoo. “Ouch, you’ll pay for my hospital bills because of that.” Kyungsoo only snorted, a little too unladylike for her. Minseok leaned closer, resting his elbow on the table. “She might look like a delicate little princess who’s as soft as a marshmallow, but I warn you though, she’s thick as iron bars.” Kyungsoo slapped his arm away, and he added, “And as sharp as nail beds.”

“Minseok, say one more word and I swear, I’m going to break your neck and you’ll never get to see the light of day ever again. Which means you can never eat your precious steamed buns ever again.” Kyungsoo said, slitting her eyes at him and giving him a glare coated with venom, hopefully enough to make his bones shatter in fright.

“Adorable.” Kai whispered a little to endeared, but loud enough that the other two heard and he covered his mouth with both of his hands to hide his embarrassment. Minseok almost rolled on the floor laughing because of that, while Kyungsoo ducked her head down, blushing furiously. But Kai swears that he saw a faint smile on those lips of hers.

 

#

 

She remembered where she saw him now, as he was walking towards her that autumn day. She was sitting on a bench, doodling on her notebook under the shade of a cherry blossom tree, and that’s when the memory hit her.

She was sixteen then, still in high school, and was forced to watch a dance concert just because her friend, Yixing, wanted to watch so badly, but didn’t have any companions. Minseok immediately found a way out of the choice list, voicing out that his parents were busy over the weekend, and he had to take care of his younger sister (which was obviously a lie, because even though Minseok was a nice big brother, he had a bad habit of spoiling his sister, which meant that he didn’t watch over her as much as he should be, giving her much more liberty to roam around their neighborhood, and giving him more time to daydream on their couch). Kyungsoo was aware that Baekhyun, on the other hand, didn’t have anything to do over the weekend, but she was able to find her way out by saying that she had a date with Chanyeol that day (“Ugh, couples.” Kyungsoo grumbled then with an exasperated tone).

And so, with a heavy heart, Kyungsoo went to the dance theater to watch the stupid dance concert with Yixing and get everything over with. She didn’t know that she’d enjoy the concert, though (even though she never admitted that to anyone), especially whenever this certain guy came out.

He was tanned with a shade of golden brown, muscles chiseled into perfection as he danced around the stage. His hair was pasted against his forehead and his eyebrows were scrunched up in concentration as beads of sweat trickled over his face. Kyungsoo fought the urge to wipe it all away with his handkerchief (and maybe probably smell it too a bit later). He thought that he was the most brilliant dancer that he has ever seen his facial expressions and graceful movements fitting perfectly with the music.

The second time, she knew, was during that day that the wristwatch stopped working. She was still wearing it though, a constant reminder tugging at her from every angle.

This is fate. This means that you have finally found your soul mate. Why don’t you believe? She could hear her younger sister say in the back of her mind.

 _Why don’t I believe?_ She asked herself. _Should I risk believing, just this once?_

And as he stopped in front of her, his smile showing perfect rows of pearly white teeth, she thought, “Zhang Yixing, wherever you are right now, I am thankful that we became friends. And I hope that you find your soul mate soon, too.”

 

#

 

“Come on, go buy one! It’s not like you’re going to lose anything.” Kyungsoo egged him.

“Tch, like I care about things like that.” He scoffed, waving her suggestion aside.

“You know, it worked for Kai and me. I was just hoping that maybe it’ll work for you too? So you wouldn’t be such an asshat anymore and stop ordering me around like I’m your maid.”

He gave her an incredulous look. “I am not ordering you around like a maid!” he shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “I am the nicest best friend anyone could ever have!”

Kyungsoo looked at him with great disdain. “Yeah… sure you are.”

 

#

 

Later that afternoon though, Minseok made his way to the shop where Kyungsoo’s sister bought the watch, the ornaments hanging above the door chiming as he opened it and entered. A pretty girl who looked just about his age was manning the counter, and gave him a tentative smile. He smiled back, and could swear that he saw her eyes sparkle, like a deer’s. She looked pixie-like, if she wasn’t actually a pixie.

He hesitantly walked over to the counter, marveling at the watches on display. It had been a really long time when he had bought a watch for himself, and he was still deliberating with the idea of whether he should really buy the watch and try the superstition for himself, or if he should just leave. Or maybe strike up a conversation with the pretty girl first? He was torn between all these tempting decisions.

Before he could change his mind though, he saw it—the watch that looked similar, almost identical even, with Kyungsoo’s watch. The leather strap was colored black though, and he asked the lady kindly if he could take a look at the watch.

The girl obliged, smiling at him in such a serene way that he almost forgot himself and thought that the girl was an angel disguised as a saleslady in a watch shop. Their fingers brushed as she was handing the watch to him, and all of a sudden….

The watch beeped, its counter immediately reaching zero.

#

  



End file.
